It's bonded leather which is basically just polyurethane with ground sprinkles of leather on the top. The furniture industry has lobbied and obtained the legal right to refer to this as "leather," but in reality it's an imitation type. I would recommend looking for a couch that features "Top-grain" leather. You will pay about double the price, but this will last for a decade or more. I would estimate the average life span for bonded leather would be a few years at most.